Execution of the 01-24 & 02-24 Homemade Explosive Course – Advanced

From the 17th   of June to the 21st of June 2024 and from the 24th to the 28th of June 2024, NATO EOD COE organized two iterations of Homemade Explosive Course - Advanced (HMEC-A) in Military Training Area Lest, Slovakia. During five days, a selected pool of instructors lectured students to identify the hazards of mixed or partially mixed precursor chemicals, identify unknown materials and related hazards,  process a scene for evidentiary purposes, and safely remove and dispose of these hazards.

The preparation and execution of the HMEC-A were greatly supported by expertise of various Subject Matter Experts from ATF National Centre for Explosives Training and Research (USA), 15th Engineer Regiment (CZE),  Dutch EOD unit (NLD), LNAF TRADOC, ADAZI (LVA), Thermo Fisher Scientific (USA), Research and Innovation Center for CBRN and Defence (ROU),  University of Pardubice (CZE), 905. Centre of Specialized Combat Support (SVK),  51. Training Base of Special Forces (SVK) and 71. Service support Battalion (SVK). Twenty-eight students from 13 NATO countries attended the courses, from which 27 completed the course graduation criteria.

Nevertheless, this year's courses were unique because of the 10th-year HMEC-A developed capability. Throughout this period, the NATO EOD COE has been keeping the HMEC-A high quality, conditions of which are embedded in the NATO EOD COE Education and Individual Training Quality Assurance policy. In particular, the professionalism and great value of the course enjoyed by the EOD community have been reflected by well-orchestrated cooperation among military, academia, and industry stakeholders.

Author: SSG Roman LAMPARSKY, SVK A

Photo: EOD COE